


Tears in the Mirror

by AliceMontrose



Series: Anthar verse [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Fantasy, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Past Rape/Non-con, Threats of Rape/Non-Con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2014-11-09
Packaged: 2018-02-24 16:53:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2589092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceMontrose/pseuds/AliceMontrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prince Mariel of Eralea finds out that his father's past mistakes have turned his life into a tragedy, when he has to stand in front of the King of Anthar, who comes with his own vengeance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tears in the Mirror

**Author's Note:**

> Completed: April 10, 2002

The two guards brutally dragged Mariel from his cell and bound his hands behind his back with a coarse rope. They shoved him forward through the maze of corridors and staircases of Anthar castle. 

The week he had spent in the small cell and the lack of sufficient food made him stagger on his feet, and he gave praise to the gods when they finally stopped in front of a large oak door at the end of the corridor. They were not taking him to the torture chamber after all. 

One guard knocked at the door, and a commanding voice from the other end replied, "Come". The door was opened, and the young prince was given a rough push into the room. 

The chamber was not extremely large, and it seemed to act both as study and bedroom. Its owner stood by the window, clad in expensive black robes, his back to them. Mariel could not see the man's face, but his identity was quickly revealed to him by one of the guards, who hit him in the leg, the pain causing him to fall on his knees on the cold stone. "Kneel before His Majesty, dog!" 

Mariel looked up to see the man had turned around and was gazing at him with ice-cold eyes. 

King Adrean of Anthar was a tall person, and had the build of a soldier. To Mariel, he looked quite imposing, and the young prince could not suppress a shudder as the king took one step towards him. He lowered his head again, trying to hide his face and escape the king's scrutiny. 

The monarch came closer, the velvet of his calf-long outer garment rustling as he moved. He made a dismissing gesture with his right hand. "Leave us," he said, in a low and neutral voice. 

The two guards saluted and retreated, leaving the king and Mariel alone. In spite of his position, the prince tried to keep his back straight and not give up on the little pride he had left. They may have killed his entire family and taken everything from him, but he still had his honour. 

"You may rise," Adrean spoke in a cool voice, as he sat down in one of the two chairs in front of the fireplace. 

Mariel tried to obey, but his weakened body refused to. He swayed on his feet and was unable to regain his balance, as his hands were still tied. He fell on one knee, fighting back the dizziness; he could not muster the necessary strength to follow his captor's order. 

King Adrean watched his prisoner as he moved. The white garments the young prince was wearing were crumpled and dirty from the prison cell. His long black hair seemed a little dishevelled, and fell into his eyes as the slim boy unsuccessfully tried to get on his feet. The king frowned; his guards may have had the best intentions, but they tended to be overzealous at times. He sat up, approaching his prisoner, and freed his arms, placing one strong hand on the boy's shoulder and easily pulling the slender body up. His eyes were still cold and narrowed. "Maybe you should have a seat," he said as he supported Mariel and forced him to sit in the other chair. He returned to his own, and settled his body in a relaxed position, left leg bent over the right one, arms casually on the armrests. He frowned again, watching Mariel rub his wrists. 

They studied each other in silence. 

The King of Anthar was only 28, but he gave the impression of an experienced warrior priest. This was emphasised by the sable clothes he wore, and his short auburn hair. His dark blue eyes remained stone cold as he watched the slender prince push black locks away from his face and look at him with startled amber eyes. He left the impression of a man always in control. 

Mariel shivered again. He had spent a lot of time preparing himself for this meeting, knowing it could not be avoided. Standing there, in the presence of the man, he realized some of the rumours had been true. The king was very appealing to women - and not only, if one listened to the more obscene comments. He also understood it would make no real difference if the interrogatory would be held here instead of a torture chamber. The results would be the same. His fate had probably been already decided, and the king was not known for being merciful to his enemies. 

But what was that fate? Now that the Antharian had achieved his purpose, that Eralea had been conquered and the enemy king dead, what use was there for the disgraced prince? 

A barely visible smile crossed Adrean's lips. No hint of emotion could be heard in his voice. "So, you are Prince Mariel. I have heard a lot of things about you. The people love you, they tell me." Mariel swallowed involuntarily, as the king continued on the same neuter tone, with just a hind of irony behind his words. "We have missed you on the battlefield, Your Highness." 

Mariel finally managed to speak, his voice sounding pathetic even to himself. "I am a scholar, not a warrior." 

"They say that too. My counsellors, that is." He tapped his fingers on the carved armrests. "Can you guess why you are here then, _scholar_?" 

The prince shook his head at the undisguised sarcasm. 

"Then let me tell you," the Antharian said. 

Mariel looked back at the king defiantly, not caring if the man thought him mad. They would kill him, most likely. But he would die with his honour intact. 

The king laughed at this little display. "There is no real point in explaining myself to you, actually. I have conquered your country and killed your father. Still, I would like to tell you _why_ I did it, before I tell you what your fate will be." 

Of course, Mariel already knew the reason. As a matter of fact, so did every single person in the region. 

King Adrean was a fair ruler, and a very good king. He loved his country and his people. But, above all, he adored his younger sister, the princess Lerina. She was the only family he had left, and he would destroy anyone, friend or foe alike, if one hair on her head were harmed. Or, in this case, the damage had been greater than that. And Eralea had not stood a chance in front of the powerful Antharian army. 

Mariel struggled to find a delicate way to put his thoughts into words. It was not good to anger his enemy even more. "Because of what happened three years ago, when your delegation visited our country. Because of what my father did... to your sister..." He blushed furiously, and refused to go on. 

Adrean flinched, but he nodded slightly. He fought hard to keep his emotions from bursting, to maintain his cold mask. The memory of his reaction upon finding out, not from Lerina herself but from one of her maids, for the princess had refused to see or speak to anyone, even him, was still fresh in his mind. Had the old King of Eralea been there at the time, he would have torn the man into pieces with his bare hands. The shame brought upon his household had to be washed with blood. 

He looked at the young prince before him. An innocent, he had reckoned upon seeing him, delicate and untainted. He had probably never had to do anything straining his whole life. Yet he knew about it, no doubt from his bastard father's very mouth. The King of Eralea had probably informed his whole Court about it, the morning after. And this pampered boy that stood in front of him now had probably laughed, just like everyone else. 

Adrean had originally intended to leave Mariel unharmed. But now, he decided the boy needed a lesson he would never forget. His smile turned into a grin. "Do you know what our law demands, under these circumstances?" 

Prince Mariel shook his head, looking at the floor again. Eralean law punished rape with 50 lashes. He knew that he probably couldn't take 10 without passing out. 

"What type of scholar are you, if you are not familiar with your enemy's Bill of Law?" the Antharian challenged. 

"The occasion did not present itself, Your Majesty," the prince admitted. 

"Then allow me to enlighten you in your ignorance. Such an act is punishable in two ways. The first one is death. But that would be too easy, would it not?" His blue eyes were cruel as they fixed Mariel, and the boy unwillingly drew back into the chair, as if it would help him get away. "And, since your father has been killed in battle, I shall have to resort to the second one," he continued. "The shame he brought upon my family can only be washed away when a similar act is performed upon the accused, by a representative of the law. Or, in case the accused has passed away, upon a member of his family." Adrean's smile was malicious, as he stood up to face the boy. "And, since you are the only one who is still alive... but I believe you are smart enough to draw your own conclusions, sweet princeling." 

Mariel now began to shiver seriously. Adrean had been too explicit for him not to understand. He stared at the king, aghast. The man was planning to rape him! 

Of course, Adrean did not really plan to go through with it. In doing so, he would be no better than the Eralean king had been. But seeing himself bound to the bed, at his enemy's mercy, the boy would draw his own conclusions. His fear would be his lesson. 

Mariel's face turned white with fear as memories long buried resurfaced. The king went to open the door and ordered something, but he did not hear any of the words. The world began to sway around Mariel. He was brought back to reality by the sound of chains being dragged on the floor. He turned to see what was happening, but the king's body blocked his view. The dark expression on the man's face spoke volumes, and Mariel realized that torture would have been quite welcomed compared to what was to come. 

Then the guards came for him, four of them this time. He tried to fight them off, struggling in their hands with all the strength he had left as they dragged him towards the large canopied bed. Heavy iron shackles had been fixed at the headboard, awaiting their prisoner. 

He swore at the king, but the man's only reaction was the same grim smile, as he pointed one finger at Mariel. "Take his clothes off," he ordered. 

The guards did exactly as they were ordered, leaving the young prince naked except for the piece of cloth covering his loins. Then they threw him on the bed, face down, and bound his hands securely with the shackles. He kept tossing around, not caring if their hands left bruises on his body. This could not be happening to him! 

Mariel screamed and kicked with his legs, managing only to bring up laughter from the soldiers. He was no real match for any of them. Each one seemed strong enough to overpower a bull. Hands groped his body, and he wondered what sick sense of perversion each would force upon him, and if he would still be alive when they were done. He would rather die than live with this abuse. 

Suddenly he was released, and the four men left the room, shutting the door behind them. Surprised, he lifted his head, only to see the king staring at him with predatory eyes. He had taken off his outer garment, and stood in front of Mariel wearing only his trousers and a loose shirt. He came dangerously close, and ran a hand through the prince's waist-long hair. He then sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over his prisoner, to whisper cruelly into his ear. 

"I shall enjoy breaking you, my dear prince. Perhaps just as much as your father enjoyed dishonouring my sister." The harsh tone gave Mariel gooseflesh, as he recalled that particular night. 

"She was pure you know," the Antharian continued. "Innocent and so full of life, when she left with the delegation. She wanted to see your country so much; and, stupid me, I allowed it. When she came back, she was a shadow of her former self. She tried to take her own life, not wanting to live in shame." 

Pain lashed through the icy eyes, and the man seemed vulnerable for a moment. Mariel tried to imagine him like he had been before all this had happened, like Princess Lerina had described him. A man who would enjoy laughing and would allow his beloved sister's every whim, and who would do justice to everyone, regardless of their social status. 

But there was no sign of such a man, and determined blue eyes looked back at Mariel as the king carried on. "So, dear boy, when you will think of me as cruel, think about the way your father destroyed an innocent girl's life. It should provide a suitable term of comparison." 

This being said, Adrean lowered his hand on the prince's naked shoulder. The skin was baby-soft, very pleasant to the touch. Mariel flinched, and as Adrean trailed his fingers over his spine he began trashing again, screaming. It was of no help, because no one would come to his rescue. No one would disobey the king's orders. 

The King of Anthar's superior strength and years of military training gave him the upper hand, and Mariel was promptly immobilized. His body ended up fully stretched on the bed, lying between silken sheets and plush cushions, as if their softness would somehow make things easier to endure. 

Not bothering to remove any of his clothes, the king continued to run his hands freely over the lean body. The young prince was truly beautiful. Adrean found himself lusting for the boy, and for a moment he had no trouble thinking he should carry on his threat. But he was a man of honour, and he had sworn to himself not to seriously harm the prince. 

He used one hand to turn the boy's head on one side, while the other firmly pinned him down. The prince was shivering, his eyes already wide with terror. Forcing a smile on his lips, the king spoke again. "You know, it probably hurts even more if you keep struggling like this. But it will be a suitable lesson for you, princeling." 

Mariel froze at the words. The memories brought back to him were too much to bear, and he lost all contact with reality as they sucked him in. The Antharian King was suddenly replaced by a more familiar figure, holding him in much the same position. The iron shackles became a large hand that twisted his arms behind his back, as the huge man took advantage of Mariel's body. He shouted as the great pain was forced upon him, and began crying as hot liquid invaded him. His body trembled, and he buried his head in the pillows as the harsh voice of the man plaguing his dreams asked, "Did you enjoy your lesson, little whore?" 

His sobs came violently, and the scene replayed in his mind again and again, shutting him out from reality. He kept asking for mercy, but none came. 

Adrean stopped touching the boy as he heard Mariel's anguished cries, realizing he had achieved his purpose. The young prince seemed to be terrified by his supposed fate. He only hoped things had not gotten out of hand. 

He pulled back and got off the bed, but the boy seemed to be oblivious to what was going on. He kept crying, and Adrean thought he had heard words coming out in between sobs. He gently put a hand on the slender arm, but nothing happened. He shook the boy a little. "Prince Mariel?" Still nothing. 

Now he was really beginning to worry. What had he done, to get such a reaction? 

The Eralean was indeed uttering something, and Adrean had to force himself to hear the words. It was the same phrase, repeated over and over. "Not again... please... stop... please..." 

Adrean raised a brow. He had stopped long ago. What was wrong with the prince? 

He quickly undid the shackles, gathered the sheets over the naked boy, and tried to turn him on one side. Mariel curled on the bed in a foetal position, still shaking. Adrean tried to run his hand through the long hair, but the boy stiffened and, in a voice so full of pain that it went straight to the king's heart, he begged, "Please, not again. I'll be good, I promise. Please, father." 

Adrean's eyes widened. Had he heard correctly? Had prince Mariel just called him ' _father_ '? But that would mean... 

Adrean bent down, and gathered the boy to him, laying the small head on his shoulder, slowly caressing his back. He managed push the damp locks away from the lovely face and see the boy's expression. He had seen it before, on his sister's face, three years ago. The memory burned in his head, and he would never forget it. 

It also meant his assumptions were correct. 

The extent of the damage he had caused could not be determined just yet. He could only hope things were not as bad as they looked, and that the Eralean prince would recover from the shock. 

Stroking the boy's hair, he began to murmur tender, soothing words in his ear. "Shh... It's alright. It will be all right. You're safe here. Nobody is going to hurt you." 

Mariel's eyes finally opened, and for a moment he did not realize where he was, or who was holding him. But it was a tender embrace, and the gentle voice calmed him down a little. He still shivered, but he stopped crying. He buried his cheek in soft linen, and looked up to see the King of Anthar looking down at him with sympathetic eyes. The coldness was gone, and the eyes now resembled a clear summer sky. 

Adrean smiled down at him, and his hold on Mariel tightened. "I'm really sorry. I had no intention to go through with it. I only wanted to scare you. I had no idea..." 

Mariel realized that, somehow, the king knew the truth. He breathed deeply, relieved that he had been spared the humiliation and the pain, and tears streamed down his face again. Adrean dried them away with his own handkerchief, as the prince whispered, "You couldn't. I mean... I never told anyone. But it was my fault, really. I disobeyed him, and deserved to be punished." 

The words were not meant to convince the king, but himself, that this was the truth. That it was all Mariel's fault. Adrean would not have it that way. His hands tightened around the slim body, his voice calm and determined. "Don't ever say that. It was not your fault. You were just a child. _His_ child, no less. Such a bastard, to do this to his own flesh and blood!" 

The young prince of Eralea realized the king was right. He relaxed in the warm embrace, allowing Adrean to caress him. It was such a pleasurable sensation. He concealed his face into the man's shirt as Adrean lowered them both on the mattress, arranging their bodies so that Mariel's head would recline on his broad chest. He continued stroking the boy's back, and slowly Mariel drifted into peaceful sleep. 

Adrean buried his face in the boy's soft hair again, and sighed deeply. He swore that he would never allow anyone to hurt the young prince again. 

* * *

**~ The End ~**  


* * *


End file.
